Cem Özdemir Calls for Legal Review of Potential AfD Ban

Cem Özdemir, the newly elected minister‑president of Baden‑Württemberg and member of the Green Party, urged a stricter legal examination of a possible ban on the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). He cited Article 21 of the German Basic Law, which allows a party to be prohibited if it threatens the free democratic order, and said the party’s “völkisch” tendencies in regions such as Thuringia and Brandenburg warrant close scrutiny.

The call comes ahead of state elections in September in Sachsen‑Anhalt, Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern and Berlin, where the AfD is polling strongly – over 40 % in Sachsen‑Anhalt and positioned as the leading force in national surveys. A recent petition demanding an AfD ban has gathered more than 1.3 million signatures following a legal opinion from the Society for Civil Rights (GFF) that labeled the party unconstitutional.

Özdemir noted that only the Bundestag, Bundesrat or the federal government can request a ban, with the final decision lying with the Federal Constitutional Court. He warned that democracy is “more threatened than ever” and urged all political actors to prevent the AfD from attaining governmental responsibility.